


Alec's Adventures In Babysitting

by Siberianskys



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, Episode: s02e11 The Berrisford Agenda, Established Relationship, Gill Girl, Kid Fic, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-29
Updated: 2009-01-29
Packaged: 2017-11-27 17:26:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/664546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siberianskys/pseuds/Siberianskys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I want Max," the little girl said, pouting.<br/>"Come on, Brittany, I'm way better than Max. I'm actually fun," Alec said.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alec's Adventures In Babysitting

"What?" Alec snapped, pulling open the old, creaky door.

"Oh. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to disturb you. I must have the wrong house," the woman said nervously as she clutched the hand of the young child by her side.

Alec's cell rang before he had the chance to respond. "Hang on," he said, digging into the pocket of his sweater and pulling out his phone.

Yeah. I think she's here now. You can't be serious. Fine. Whatever. Yeah. Okay. I'll take care of it. I said I would. Logan, enough, it'll be fine. I'll park her in front of the TV and feed her last night's leftovers. You're making her out to be Charles Manson. Seriously, you're talking about one, small, normal, human child. How hard can it be? Love you, too.

Shoving his phone back in his pocket he smiled tightly at the mother and child. "Hi, I'm Alec, and I'll be your babysitter this afternoon."

"When Logan said “a friend,” I thought he meant Max. I'm not sure--"

"Bitsy, right? Look, Bitsy, its fine. Logan'll be back in a couple of hours."

"I want Max," the little girl said, pouting.

"Come on, Brittany, I'm way better than Max. I'm actually fun," Alec said.

"Max is fun," Brittany said, chewing on her lower lip.

"That hurts,” Alec said, placing his hand over his heart.

"Brittany, you don't want to hurt Alec's feelings, do you?" Bitsy asked.

"No," Brittany sighed.

"Say you're sorry," Bitsy coaxed.

"Sorry," Brittany said not sounding sorry at all, "but you have to read me a story."

"Hmmm," Alec muttered non-committal.

***

"Where's Max?" Brittany asked for the tenth time in as many minutes.

"How should I know?"

"You're mean," Brittany accused.

"No I'm not," Alec shot back.

"Are too," Brittany flounced, crossing her arms across her chest.

God, Alec thought, rubbing his head, I'm losing an argument with a six-year-old.

"How come you live here?"

"What?"

"My mommy said this was Uncle Logan's new house. How come you live here?"

"Who says I live here?"

"Don't you?" Brittany challenged.

He couldn't exactly tell her that fucking was more convenient this way, so he settled for staring her down. Huge surprise, when that didn't work.

"Why?" Brittany asked.

"Why not? It's a big house," Alec said, hoping that would be enough to shut her up.

"Mine's bigger," Brittany said, "and cleaner."

"Sorry, kid, it's the maid's decade off," Alec said.

"I'm bored," Brittany said, sticking out her lower lip. "You promised you'd read to me."

"No, I didn't."

"You lie!"

No wonder this kid got along so well with Max, Alec thought.

"I got something better we can do; want to surprise your mommy?" Alec asked.

"How?" Brittany asked suspiciously.

"You ever take piano lessons?" Alec asked, hoping to hear no.

"I take ballet," Brittany said primly, putting her arms over her head in a circle. "See?"

"If you can do that, you can play Jingle Bells," Alec said.

"Jingle Bells is stupid," Brittany said, wrinkling her nose.

"You're a hard sell, kid."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. I'll teach you another one. What's your favorite Christmas carol?"

"Hark the Herald Angels Sing," Brittany said.

"You're on."

***

"You're just getting home," Bitsy said, meeting Logan on the steps.

"Errands took a little longer than I expected," Logan said, unlocking the front door.

"Your friend--"

"My lover," Logan corrected, unwilling to hide his relationship with Alec.

"He didn't seem too happy--"

"Appearances can be deceiving," Logan said, pushing open the door and smiling at the music lofting up through the floorboards. "Sounds like Alec found something to entertain Brittany.”

"He's very talented. Is he a concert pianist?" Bitsy asked.

"Not exactly," Logan hedged.

"I saw his barcode," Bitsy said.

Logan gaped at his cousin, looking down at her pale hand resting on his arm.

"Not everyone is a bigot," Bitsy said.

"We can't--"

"I know you can't be too careful. I doubt Brittany even noticed it and I won't say anything to her father. I don't have to tell you he's not exactly liberal-minded."

***

"So, Uncle Alec," Logan said, crawling into bed, spooning tightly behind his lover, "you must have been a hit, even Max doesn't warrant an aunt, but piano lessons?"

"Why not? She seems to have some aptitude and..." Alec trailed off, melancholy.

"And?" Logan prodded. Sometimes, even though things were getting better, it was still like pulling teeth to get Alec to open up.

"It's nice to have some associations with the piano that don't instantly remind me of Rachel," Alec admitted.

"You know, it's okay for you to think about her, to talk about her with me," Logan said, stroking his fingers through Alec's soft hair. "She was your first love; you deserve to have some happy memories of your time with her."

"I don't deserve--"

Logan wrapped his arm tightly around Alec's waist and kissed his smooth jaw. "You were a brainwashed kid. It wasn't your fault. If you want to blame somebody, blame Manticore. They killed Rachel, not you."

"You sound so sure."

"I am sure," Logan said, listening to Alec's harsh, rapid breathing.

"You don't know. I built the bomb. I put it in Berrisford's car," Alec said.

"Why?" Logan asked patiently.

"They said if I didn't follow orders they wouldn't have any more use for me."

"So it was kill or be killed?"

"She was an innocent girl. Her father was the traitor, she didn't deserve to die with him," Alec said. "I should have refused, let them take me out and shoot me, use me for spare parts."

"And then what?" Logan asked.

"I don't--"

"What would Manticore have done?"

"Sent someone else," Alec whispered.

"And she wouldn't have had a chance," Logan said firmly. "You were more than the sum of your training. With you, she had a chance."

They lay together in silence, hands entwined as the Grandfather Clock chimed midnight. Trailing his thumb along the back of Alec's hand, Logan wanted to wish his lover a Merry Christmas, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it.

***The End***


End file.
